Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 72 Life and death are preordained, wealth and honor are determined by fate! (Bonus chapter for monthly votes)
Go downstairs.

People are gradually returning home from the electronics factory residential area, presumably having received news of the second wave of the lifting of restrictions.

Upon noticing Cheng Ye's unusual demeanor, everyone instinctively took a detour.

Anyone who dares to go out at this time is either a ruthless character who wants to risk his life to climb to the top, or someone with a special mission.

Neither the former nor the latter are people that ordinary residents like them can afford to offend.

"Sir, the curfew will begin in one hour, and we will also be evacuating in two hours. At that time, the Blood Dragon Legion will take over the buffer zone. If you do not have a special pass, please go home before nine o'clock."

The guards at the entrance didn't recognize Cheng Ye and quickly stepped forward to remind him.

"Ah."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, without taking out his badge to ask if he could disregard the curfew by revealing his identity as a prosecutor.

Curfews are essentially a protective barrier for residents, not a restriction on human rights.

Once the Blood Dragon Legion moves in, it means that the third wave of information will soon be released, and chaos is bound to break out in the buffer zone.

Even if he doesn't find out the situation clearly, he will immediately go home and hide until the infection wave breaks out.

As you walk along the roadside path, most of the pedestrians on the street have a gloomy look on their faces.

After all, most of those who live in the three zones A, B, and C are "old-timers" who have been struggling in the buffer zone for many years, and a large number of them are survivors from 13 years ago.

"Sir, please stop. The area ahead has been designated as a restricted zone by the Emergency Response Department. You can only exit, not enter."

Two blocks away from Tianyuan Mall, a squad of heavily armed guards approached.

"Of course, unless you can provide proof of residence there."

"Well"

Cheng Ye remained silent and took out his prosecutor's badge from his pocket.

The guard captain's expression changed, but after verifying the information on the defense device, he shook his head and advised, "Prosecutor, if I may be so bold, this place is a powder keg right now. It would be best if you didn't go in. They have their own set of operating rules, and outsiders can't interfere. It would only make things worse for them."

"Your own rules?"

“Yes,” the captain scratched his head, looking troubled, “the buffer zone has been like this ever since the quarantine zone regulations were abolished more than ten years ago. Every large community has its own rules for survival.”

The words have not yet fallen.

Suddenly, a series of loud gong and drum sounds came from the direction of Tianyuan Mall, not far away.

It doesn't sound like they're afraid of an upcoming wave of infections; rather, it sounds like they're celebrating something.

"You see, that's how it is," the guard captain said with a wry smile. "These people are all mentally unstable; it's hard for us normal people to understand them."

"May I come in?"

"It's possible to get in, that's all."

"Then let me go in and take a look."

Cheng Ye's curiosity was completely piqued.

When there was no wave of infection, Happy City was just like the stereotypical wasteland he remembered, with nothing strange about it.

But as the wave of infection arrives, everything happening here is rapidly deviating from his preconceived notions of the wasteland world.

The world no longer operates according to rigid, fixed rules; everything has become vibrant and real.

"Ok."

The security captain gritted his teeth. "According to regulations, we cannot enter, but if you dial 01110, the surrounding guards will immediately come to our aid."

"Thank you."

Cheng Ye nodded, took the badge, and prepared to move forward.

Suddenly, his communication device on his waist beeped. He picked it up and glanced at it, only to find it was a message from Qin Feng.

"Going home early?"

He couldn't help but laugh; he hadn't expected that this researcher Qin would still remember him.

As we passed through several checkpoints, the guards at each one looked on with curiosity.

Clearly, no one expected that at this critical juncture, an inspector would be going into the community.

"Sir, this is the final checkpoint. After passing through here, at this special point in time, you'd better abide by the rules inside."

The Tianyuan Mall sign was already visible in the distance, and a security guard came up to remind them.

On weekdays, the number of permanent residents in Tianyuan Mall fluctuates around one to two thousand.

Many people only register their household registration here and may not actually come back every night. Most migrant workers choose to set up tents near the construction site to save commuting time.

Right now, a full four thousand people are crammed inside, and through the mall's glass, you can see the throngs of people moving about under the lights, as numerous as moths.

"Am I also required to follow their rules?"

“Maybe, anyway, we need it.” The guard smiled awkwardly. “No prosecutor has ever gone in at a time like this before, so we don’t know if your identity will actually work.”

"You know, there are always some crazy people who completely disregard the rules at times like this."

After he finished speaking, he waved to the distance.

Two men in raincoats approached. "Da Long, Er Long, this is Inspector Cheng. He wants to inspect your Tianyuan Mall. Is there a problem?"

"Prosecutor?"

The two tall, thin middle-aged men exchanged a glance and saw the confusion in each other's eyes.

However, they did not refuse. "No problem, but what does the prosecutor want?"

"I'm just here to take a look and get a feel for the situation; I won't interfere with your rules."

"Okay, please follow me."

Da Long stared at the outlines of two long spears that were faintly visible under his raincoat, licked his lips, and turned to the side to make a gesture of leading the way.

The moment Cheng Ye stepped out of the checkpoint, he felt as if he had entered a vacuum of rules.

Strangely, the tension that had gripped me suddenly dissipated, and without the constraints of my prosecutor identity, I felt a strange sense of ease.

"Prosecutor Cheng, we warmly welcome your attention to the community at this time, but you may not be able to understand the situation there immediately."

"Please do not draw your gun unless absolutely necessary. We will do everything in our power to ensure your safety and will absolutely not put you in any danger inside!"

Da Long explained softly, "The news of the coming wave of infections has spread. The fact that the community has managed to stay in order until now is the result of everyone's hard work over the past ten years. However, as you know, there are pests in the buffer zone, and they will also be present in the community. We are currently working on pest control."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly, then asked curiously, "Wasn't it like this before?"

"completely different."

Da Long grinned, his wrinkles deepening into deep furrows at the corners of his eyes. "After the Nightmare Fluke incident, more and more people discovered that Happiness City was no different from other sheltered cities; its roots were rotten to the core. As a result, nearly 30% of the population left in just a few days."

"But then one day, a big shot in the inner city stepped forward and promised us that from this moment on, the inner city would be the inner city, and the buffer zone would be the buffer zone. This was the residents' own territory, and Happiness City would only provide jobs, welfare, supplies, and necessary protection. In the event of a disaster, it would never interfere with individual choices."

"Since then, communities with different ideologies have sprung up in the buffer zone, all trying to figure out how to get through this mess."

“Our Tianyuan community is a bit strange; we emphasize collectivism, which is not common in the wasteland.”

Different philosophies lead to community self-governance.

This perfectly aligns with the idealists Li Matai spoke of, and with the ideals of that group of people.

Approaching the mall entrance.

The young guards, upon seeing Cheng Ye's imposing figure and the two long spears he carried that were not concealed, immediately became somewhat nervous.

"Quickly inform the district elder that the prosecutor has arrived!"

Upon reaching the entrance of the mall, Erlong, who had remained silent until now, raised his voice and shouted.

Before he finished speaking, the young gatekeepers froze for a moment, then took off running, leaving only two behind while the rest rushed into the mall.

"Please come in."

Da Long pulled open the iron gate, and a strong stench hit his nose.

However, compared to the smell inside the isolation ward at the North Station, the ventilation system inside the mall was still running, so Cheng Ye only frowned slightly before quickly getting used to it.

Step inside.

Although the residential buildings in the buffer zone are in the style of the old millennium, the structure of this large shopping mall is not much different from later malls like Wanda Mall.

The central area on the first floor is a high-ceilinged activity area, with a circular corridor extending upwards on each floor, offering a panoramic view of the area below. At this moment, the area is densely packed with people, with countless eyes fixed on the ground below.

The former shops have all been converted into residences, with iron bunk beds stacked like building blocks to the ceiling, and bedding and miscellaneous items hanging from the gaps in the railings, creating a living scene even more cramped than Kowloon Walled City.

However, at this moment, Cheng Ye had no interest in examining the internal structure; his gaze was fixed on the activity area.

On the not-so-spacious stage sat three elderly people, each dressed in festive red.

Drums were placed on both sides, and a gong was suspended behind.

In front of the stage, three to five hundred people stood in neat rows like primary school students. When he entered, countless eyes swept over him, but then quickly looked away, revealing a strange restraint.

"What are you doing?"

"Sifting insects".

Da Long grinned and pointed at the line of people, saying, "Don't worry, we've already tested the substitute starfish. Apart from those people, no one else is at risk of infection."

"Well, I'll make room for you."

After he finished speaking, he gave Long Er a wink, and the latter immediately stepped forward to disperse a group of people, making room for about five square meters of space.

At the same time, the young man who went to deliver the news also walked up to the old man and whispered a few words in his ear.

In an instant, the three elderly men in red all turned their gazes toward them.

When their eyes met in the air, Cheng Ye nodded slightly and clearly saw the smiles spreading across the three people's eyes. Their expressions were not like the usual restraint that ordinary people have when they see a prosecutor; rather, it was as if they were welcoming a long-lost acquaintance.

Boom!
A few minutes later, it was 8:30.

The drumbeats sounded again, and a burly man holding a wooden mallet strode forward and struck the hanging gong heavily.

"The auspicious time has come!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, with more and more voices joining the shouts:

"Auspicious time!"

"Auspicious time!"

The noise shook the corridor railings. It lasted for about twenty seconds, then stopped abruptly when the old man in the middle raised his hand.

"Tianyuan Community has been established for nine years, four months and seven days."

"Many people joined during this period, and many left as well. Today, the number has grown to 4167."

"Now, the time has come to test our district's survival philosophy."

The old man's voice was not loud, as if he was only speaking to the three to five hundred people lined up.

It was visible to the naked eye that many people trembled.

"Li Gui, step forward!"

The old man on the left opened the roster and read it aloud.

The middle-aged man at the front of the line changed his expression slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing twice, but he still walked forward with firm steps.

"Overturn the water!"

"Yes."

Several basins of clean water were prepared in front of the stage.

Li Gui took a deep breath, submerged his face in the water, and after a few seconds looked up to reveal a clear black starfish mark on his forehead.

He looked in the mirror and clasped his hands together in front of the crowd behind him and all those looking down at him.

"Mr. Qu, I choose to take the medicine."

"good!"

The three district elders nodded in unison, and Li Gui pulled out a bag of anti-epidemic powder from his pocket and wolfed it down.

The powder was very potent; his face visibly turned a deep liver color instantly.

Within seconds, he collapsed to the ground, his limbs twitching and spitting out black blood.

A suppressed gasp rose from the crowd; some looked ashen, while others abruptly turned their heads away.

The burly man with the mallet immediately struck the gong, and the dense drumbeats sounded like a battle formation, as if bidding farewell to a fallen general.

The body collection team, dressed in protective gear, stepped forward and quickly stuffed Li Gui into a body bag.

The drumming and gonging stopped abruptly.

"Life and death matter!"

The three elders stood up at the same time, cupped their hands to the body bag, and gave a low shout.

More than four thousand people who witnessed this scene followed suit, cupping their hands in unison towards the activity area and shouting in unison, their voices like thunder:

"Life and death matter!"

The sound was deafening.

"good!"

The body bag was carried away, and the clan elders called out the names again.

"Gao Yunting, step forward."

Another middle-aged man stepped forward and submerged his face in the water.

The starfish mark flashed by, and it was even darker than Li Gui's.

"Elder Qu, I choose to bind myself."

"good!"

The three district elders nodded again, and then someone else stepped forward and chained the man, binding his hands and feet.

The gong sounded, followed by the drumbeats.

The drumbeats were heavy and slow, as if bidding farewell to the soldiers who were about to leave.

After Gao Yunting was taken away and locked in a specially reserved shop, the three clan elders stood up again and bowed to the shop.

"Wealth and honor are determined by fate!"

The crowd murmured in agreement, "Wealth and honor are determined by fate!"

The low shouts merged into a torrent, echoing loudly under the mall's dome, startling even the bedding hanging from the gaps in the railings into trembling slightly.

Cheng Ye couldn't help but get up. Being forced to drink the medicine was understandable to him, but choosing to bind himself was...
"This is what a collective is all about, Lord Cheng."

Da Long noticed the surprise and realization in his eyes, and a gentle look flashed in his eyes. "From the moment we joined our Tianyuan Community, everyone was actually prepared to die."

"Preparation for death?"

Cheng Ye took a long time to process those five words.

He had never heard of such a method of epidemic prevention before, and even thinking about it seemed like a fantasy.

Humans are independent thinkers.

How could one possibly place their own thoughts below the interests of a group simply because they join one?

Even in civilized times, few people could achieve such a feat.

Not to mention the wasteland where every day is uncertain!
While he was thinking, people in the queue stepped forward one after another, either tilting their heads back to swallow the powder or voluntarily extending their hands and feet to be tied up.

Each time the gong or drum sounds, a burst of shouts erupts inside the mall.

Does this happen to everyone?
suddenly.

"Zhang Can, step forward."

A young man was called over, but instead of covering his face, he pulled out a pistol from his waist and pointed it at the old man in the middle of the district.

"Be bold!"

The moment the guns were drawn, a chorus of gunshots rang out.

Under Cheng Ye's dumbfounded gaze, at least a thousand guns were pulled out of the circular corridor, some long and some short, their muzzles pointing at Zhang Can below like a forest.

Individual violence, collective interests.

The combination of these two words just looks awkward no matter how you look at it.

But at this moment, a strange balance has been formed.

"Give me a chance, Mr. Qu."

Zhang Can remained expressionless, but his lips trembled uncontrollably. "I'm still young, I still have a lot to do. I don't want to be a deserter, but I don't want to die like this either."

"Ah Chan, have you thought it through?"

Old Qu suddenly laughed and waved his hand upstairs, "Everyone put away your guns. I was the officiant at A-Can's wedding before the New Year. He won't shoot me."

Wow.

Old Qu's words seemed to carry a lot of weight here; in an instant, all the gun barrels were withdrawn.

Zhang Can paused for a moment, then lowered his pistol to his side, but his index finger remained firmly on the trigger.

"My wife is pregnant, so I have no choice but to live."

"Understandable."

The old man nodded. "Do you remember the first rule of the community?"

"If we prioritize collective interests above all else and personal interests below all else, then if the heavens cease to exist, the earth will also be overturned."

Zhang Can recounted the story in a wooden voice.

"What about the second one?"

"If the collective interest is the guiding principle and the individual interest is the constant, then if the guiding principle is not upheld, the constant principle will also be difficult to maintain."

Old Qu nodded with a smile, "Now that you're out of this door, you'd better think it over. Whether you live or die, our Tianyuan Community will never look at you again."

"Don't worry, Mr. Qu."

Ah-Can nodded emphatically, turned around and bowed deeply to everyone. His voice was hoarse but firm, “Brothers and sisters, once we step out of this door, Zhang Can is Zhang Can. If we become aliens, we are enemies, enemies of everyone in the buffer zone. Just shoot me and kill me without any psychological burden!”

"good!"

The smile on Old Qu's face faded, and he waved in the direction where Cheng Ye was standing.

As if rehearsed, the crowd immediately parted to make way for two people to walk side by side.

"Ah Chan, let's go this way."

"Thank you, Elder Qu."

Ah-Can tucked the gun back into his waistband, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed three times, his forehead hitting the concrete floor with a dull thud.

The moment he turned around, the old man, his body hunched over, took the wooden mallet from the big man's hand and smashed it against the gong.

"Man can conquer nature; everything depends on human effort!"

thump.

Boom! !

Boom! ! !
The dull drumbeats struck Zhang Can's footprints like heavy hammer blows, and the stunned crowd suddenly erupted in shouts.

"Man can conquer nature; everything depends on human effort!"

"Human determination can conquer nature."

Under Cheng Ye's gaze, he saw Zhang Can, who had been able to keep a straight expression, suddenly tremble violently, and his taut face was now covered in tears.

Despite trying hard to suppress the urge to turn back, when he reached the end of the passage and the entrance to the mall, he finally couldn't help but look up and his gaze fell on a woman on the second floor.

The woman behind the railing, her pregnant belly protruding, nodded vigorously at him, and he nodded back, his voice trembling.

then.

With one step, his figure disappeared into the vast, rainy night.

"good!"

　P.S.: We didn't run away, dear readers. This time the results were excellent, and we absolutely will not run away. Why is everyone saying we did? (Frustrated!)
　　PS2: The better the results, the greater the pressure and the higher the requirements for the plot. I've revised it many times. Please give me some time.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)